US supporting expansion of Pak elite commando force

Washington, Feb 8 : US Assistant Defence Secretary Mike Vickers has said that American military advisers are helping Pakistan Army to expand its elite commando force.

Vickers said that 100 US military personnel were present in Pakistan that is focusing on what he called "targeted training."

They are assisting Pakistan's Special Service Group and teaching specialised fighting techniques, such as helicopter assaults, he added.

"It's been ongoing for a while," Vickers told reporters.

"They're expanding their capability substantially; they're essentially doubling their force. So we're helping them with that expansion and trying to improve their capabilities at the same time. There's also some aviation training. It's been ongoing for several years," the Dawn quoted him, as saying.

Defence officials told the US Congress on Wednesday that the al Qaeda is operating from havens in "under-governed regions" of Pakistan."

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Michael Mullen has predicted in written a testimony that the next attack on the US probably would be launched by terrorists in that region.